Fiberewetopia: At the intersection of spinning, weaving and knitting....

Monday, December 23, 2013

Knitting potato chips....

A couple weeks ago I downloaded the pattern for Pretty Thing by Stephanie Pearl McPhee. The impetus for this was a small ball of cashmere support spindle spun yarn that wanted to become some"thing".

The pattern is 61 rows on 118 stitches and requires about 160 yds. ......It takes one long good movie, or two short evenings of tv watching to make one of these "things".

Note that there is yarn left over. Maybe not enough for a full sized "thing", but perhaps another one with one repeat of the body omitted.

Well, one "thing" led to another. There was some zephyr in the mulberry color hiding out in a small bin of lace weight yarns. Maybe it could be a "thing"? Yes! That one was completed and sent off in the mail to its intended recipient.

Back to the bin...there's another bit of zephyr yarn, not very much, this time in blue. I weighed it and did some math....maybe there's enough to squeak out another "thing" (that would be the blue one in the photo below):

From left to right: Thing 1, Thing 3, Thing 4 in progress. Thing 2 has flown off in a gifty sort of way.

There was just enough of the blue to finish the sequel to Thing 2.....and that makes it Thing 3. What next?

I don't usually knit repeat items unless they are a pair as in: socks, gloves, or mitts. But clearly I am smitten with this pattern's ability to use up small bits of precious lace weight yarn. And this gratifies me to a degree that is way beyond reason. Yes it's fun to use up those small bits, but what about those sweater quantities of yarn that are sitting in the stash waiting to become something....something more than a "thing"? I suppose that will become a problem for 2014.

So dear knitter, you have been warned. These "things" are like potato chips....one thing leads to another...leads to another...and another. Until you are up to your neck in "things".

With that warning, I will close and wish you all happy solstice, a Merry Christmas if that is what you observe, and many happy, productive days ahead as we approach a new year.

I love potato chips! One of these just might find its way onto my needles in the (hope) not too distant future. I've looked at the pattern a number of times but your enthusiasm, and a number of partial balls of lovely lace yarns languishing in the stash, is the nudge over the edge. Thanks!